Tag: battles

Doodles of hope

How My Daughters Killed the Cynic

Last night I was talking on the phone with relatives and I was doodling on the whiteboard that happened to be sitting in front of me. The marker wasn’t really working well, but I liked the distraction it was providing for my hands. Here’s what I drew… Now I know what you’re thinking… “That’s…umm…interesting.” Here’s what happened at my house. I’m finishing… Read more →

$$Twenties from Heaven$$

I woke up yesterday morning and took my two chihuahuas out for a walk. Usually, I just let them do their business and then I bring them back inside. I felt like I should really start walking them at least around the block, just to give them exercise and also to give the puppy practice being on the leash and… Read more →

Turn the Page

Once there was a little girl who turned to her family at three years old and said, “I want to be an actress!” She may have said it with a little flair and drama. Family giggled and said, “Yes, dear.” That girl grew and kept repeating that phrase, “I want to be an actress.” She got older and started taking… Read more →

The Line in the Sand

Where are we drawing the line in our lives with God? Are we willing to do anything He leads us into doing? Do we only want to do the fun stuff? Are we living our life the way we want and promising we’ll do what God wants later? Paul was a tentmaker. Everywhere he went, he preached and he made… Read more →

Quit Fighting

I’ve managed to get myself back into a regular workout routine this fall. Praise the Lord! My favourite type of workout is yoga. While I was doing a class, I had a little mini-epiphany: “What if I quit fighting?” Ok, let me give you a little back story. I am a recovering perfectionist; some days more recovered than others. You… Read more →

Love and Loss

My precious grandma passed away a few weeks ago. She was 96 years old. Her breath slowed, then stopped and that was it. She was sleeping and then she woke up in heaven. I prayed for the last few years that her passing would happen in her sleep. It just seems like the best way to leave this world. Her… Read more →

The Senseless Violence

As I was celebrating the freedom of being an American citizen over this past week, two beautiful Americans were shot. No crime, no jury, no conviction – just shot. This alone is tragic. The fact their skin color bears the history of racism just rips open centuries of wounds. I’m white. Yet, I don’t really see people based on their… Read more →

The Dreaded D-word…and Jesus

Depression. I hate that word. I hate what it means. I hate how it feels even more. I’ve needed to write this article for some time, but I’ve been avoiding it. It’s complicated. It seems even more complicated in some Christian circles.  Yet, I think we need to talk about it. I think we need to help each other understand.… Read more →

What To Do When Life Shatters Around Your Feet

As frequently happens, life has thrown a perfect scenario for learning into my path and I figured I’d share what I’ve been learning. Last Friday afternoon I was taking a shower in my recently remodeled bathroom. (Now before you get jealous of my new bathroom, let me tell you it was remodeled because my bathroom was filled with water and… Read more →

Commanded to Rest

I’ve been pondering the idea of rest, of the Sabbath, of balance. I began writing this blog and then found myself in this beautiful setting for free. How amazing! I love when I’m working on an idea and life magnifies it or helps me understand it better. As I’ve been trying to understand the importance of rest, I was struck… Read more →

The Goodness of God

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?” Ps 116:12 I am frequently humbled by God’s goodness. All the little things I know He does for me. Why is He so good to me? How can I ever repay him? I can’t repay him, nor does He ask me to. He is good to me, because it is actually… Read more →

Fear Sucks!

Yep – I said it. Fear sucks. I can’t find a better word to describe it. Fear can stop us from doing anything, even the things we desire most to do. Obviously, if something is dangerous, fear is there to protect us. But I have found that fear usually operates in places of my life it has no business being.… Read more →

Priorities and Time

I’ve been laughing to myself this week. I posted last week about keeping our lives as simple as possible in order to stay focused on God. So, of course, this past week for me was ridiculously busy! I frequently find when I am learning something and sharing it with others, I then experience a testing of sorts, a bit of… Read more →

How’s Your Limp?

I have journeyed through my life with a lot of physical pain. I actually don’t have many memories of times in my life when I didn’t have pain. Because it’s so present, I really don’t give it much thought. When the pain is very intense, I realize that it is never really gone. I’ve tried all sorts of things to… Read more →

Thanksgiving – wait, isn’t it New Years?!

“Thanksgivings will pour out of the windows;     laughter will spill through the doors. Things will get better and better.     Depression days are over. They’ll thrive, they’ll flourish.” – Jeremiah 30:18-21           These words have been ringing true in my life and I’m so very grateful!! As the new year begins, I have been absolutely praising God… Read more →